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THIS IS ALSO BRESSE

300 UFO Phenomena Observed Over Three Decades

In 1974, convinced of the importance of the UFO phenomenon in Bresse, some people began their first observation patrols. Thirty years later, they have witnessed or heard about 300 unexplained phenomena.

With his eyes fixed on the sky of Sainte-Croix, Pierre recounts "his" UFO. "I think about it once a day since 1979." His voice trembles slightly. No smile. Not a moment of hesitation in his account. Pierre is not acting—he is certain of what he saw.

That night, in August, Pierre was on patrol along the roads of Bresse. ALEPI (Louhans Association for the Study of Unexplained Phenomena) had not yet been created, but a few friends, convinced of regular UFO appearances and supported by testimonies, patrolled almost every evening on a route from Louhans through Bruailles, Sainte-Croix, Bromby, La Chapelle-Naude, and the Montbrillant forest, before returning to Louhans. "Unexplained luminous phenomena had occurred here in '74 or '75."

In Sainte-Croix, just past the village, the five occupants of the patrol car were alerted by "a double star seemingly positioned above the Bram stadium." Pierre was prepared. He took out the light gun, which connects to the cigarette lighter, and aimed. "We saw the craft expand, then a motionless mass came toward us. In three seconds, it was above our heads. Thanks to the light gun, which has a range of about 200 meters, we could see the underside of the craft in detail—cables, antennas, and thousands of portholes. It was like a real city, which we estimated to be 600 meters long. Then the object tilted, formed a luminous diamond shape, and headed toward space in the direction of Montpont."

The photos taken that night turned out black. Nothing was visible. "Every time we handed our film to photo labs, nothing was ever returned to us." The prevailing theory? That of overly zealous General Intelligence services.

After the emotional retelling, Pierre invites us to join the first of the two patrol cars to continue the journey along the usual route. As he drives, he continues explaining, referencing Roman Emperor Constantine, who, in this very place in 312, allegedly saw a luminous cross in the sky on the eve of a major battle, accompanied by a glowing inscription: "By this sign, you will conquer." "He won the battle, converted to Christianity, and that is why this town bears his name."

Names clearly hold significance for ALEPI investigators. "La Grange Rouge, Montbrillant—these names evoke light." Similarly, while UFOs "are often attracted to railway lines and bodies of water," one consistent observation is that "there is always a wayside cross within 500 meters of the identified phenomena. These crosses are linked to ancient beliefs in miraculous luminous phenomena," Pierre explains, for whom "the connection between religion and the cosmos is evident."

At the next stop, in front of the water tower gates in Sornay, Christelle takes the floor to share her story. The young woman appears just as composed as the previous speaker, yet her account is just as astonishing. She was 12 years old when, just a few meters from where we stood, she saw "something very bright, like an upside-down fluorescent orange bowl, with figures of the same color all around it, who seemed to be picking things up. My mother and I observed the scene for two to three minutes. A car stopped, then suddenly sped away (Editor’s note: the driver later testified to ALEPI). Then, everything vanished in an instant!"

A few hundred meters further, after Lucien explains that many phenomena have been recorded here, Christelle shows us "the spot," where flowers and molehills multiplied for years.

The conversation is abruptly interrupted by Lucien. He just saw "a blue orb, the size of a fist, dive behind that hedge." Questions follow. Details. Color, shape, speed, trajectory—everything is analyzed in a brief discussion, without reaching a firm conclusion between meteor and UFO.

After recounting a few more of the 300 phenomena recorded by ALEPI, Pierre concludes, "In 30 years, we’ve seen our share of eccentrics! But we can spot fabricators right away. At ALEPI, we are all sound in body and mind. And we don’t talk about Martians—we must stay serious. We speak strictly of UFOs: unidentified. This could involve extraterrestrial hypotheses, secret military projects, or still-unknown natural phenomena." Today, patrols are less frequent (an unexpected consequence of rising fuel prices), but the passion and convictions of ALEPI’s "investigators" remain unwavering.

Eric Pellenard

ALEPI, 22 route de Dijon, 71 500 Louhans (03.85.75.33.59).